Memories of Algeria’s independence struggle stirred by pope’s visit, Catholic film on dating makes splash in Vietnam, Kenyan bishops make plea for marriage, and more in this week’s world news roundup.

Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Algeria has revived memories of Catholic clergy who sided with Algerians during the struggle for independence, often at considerable personal cost, ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, reported Tuesday.

Among the most prominent was Cardinal Léon-Étienne Duval, who defended the Algerian people’s right to self-determination and condemned torture during the war, drawing fierce criticism from French colonial circles. Archbishop Henri Teissier continued that line, grounding his ministry in solidarity, dialogue, and a lasting identification with the Algerian people. Bishop Jean Scotto became known for his outspoken opposition to “French Algeria,” while Father Alfred Berenguer argued publicly against colonial violence and for equal citizenship. Bishop Pierre Claverie, later assassinated in Oran in 1996, embodied a Christian presence rooted not in domination but in respect, dialogue, and fidelity to Algeria even in times of bloodshed.

Pope Leo’s stop at the Martyrs’ Memorial gave fresh visibility to that often-overlooked chapter of Catholic witness in North Africa.

Tanzanian bishop dies days after appointment to Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication

Bishop Bernardin Francis Mfumbusa of the Diocese of Kondoa in Tanzania has died at the age of 64, less than a week after Pope Leo XIV appointed him to the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication.

In a statement announcing the death of Mfumbusa and signed by the secretary-general of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC), the conference president said the bishop died on April 14 at 5:45 a.m. while receiving treatment at Benjamin Mkapa Hospital in Dodoma, ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, reported Tuesday. 

“It is with deep sorrow that we lose this relatively young bishop, who was 64 years old,” said TEC Secretary-General Father Charles Kitima in an April 14 video. “Initial treatment showed signs of hope, but by last night his condition worsened, and eventually the time came when he left us.”

Pontifical Society of the Holy Childhood urges creative faith formation at Slovakia conference

European leaders of the Pontifical Society of the Holy Childhood urged renewed “creativity in the new evangelization” at a gathering in Bratislava, Slovakia, this week, Fides News Agency reported Thursday.

The April 12–16 conference focused on finding ways to reach children through evangelization, with participants from roughly 20 countries sharing pastoral experiences. 

Participants heard calls from speakers including Sister Inês Paulo Albino, secretary-general of the Pontifical Society of the Holy Childhood, and Archbishop Nicola Girasoli, the apostolic nuncio to Slovakia, who stressed missionary zeal and cultural adaptation in spreading the Gospel.

Kenyan bishops commend government for ‘relative peace,’ urge defense of marriage

The Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops has lauded the Kenyan government for maintaining relative peace in the country while raising concern over growing threats to human life, the institution of marriage, and key public systems.

“We thank God for the relative peace in our country, aware that many parts of the world lack this peace. We in particular pray for peace in the Middle East and anywhere else where people are suffering due to wars,” the bishops said at a press briefing, according to an ACI Africa report on Friday. 

The bishops also expressed concern over challenges in the civil registration of marriages, including bureaucratic delays, inefficiencies, and a shortage of marriage certificates, which they said are discouraging couples from formalizing unions. “These conditions have discouraged many from contracting marriage, as the statistics show,” they said.

Vietnamese film on Catholic dating appeals to broad audience

A Vietnamese-language film examining Catholic dating has grossed nearly $2 million after two weeks at the box office, according to a UCA News report Friday.

“Hẹn Em Ngày Nhật Thực” (“See You on the Day of the Eclipse”) follows the romance of a Catholic woman and non-Catholic man as they navigate the question of whether their relationship is possible. 

“Its success is striking not only because of its subject matter but also because of the audience response,” the report said. “Many viewers — including non-Catholics — have reacted positively to a film that portrays religious life with unusual nuance.”

Education workshop in Indonesia urges collaboration between Church and state

Church leaders in the Diocese of Timika in Central Papua, Indonesia, called for the strengthened partnership between the Indonesian government and the Catholic Church amid teacher shortages and student dropouts in remote areas.

Deputy Regent of Mimika Emanuel Kemong urged local governments to work “in synergy” with the diocese to help improve the educational system, Licas News reported Friday. “This is a space for the encounter of ideas and shared struggles — a place where we reflect on the future of Catholic education in Papua,” he said in the wake of the April 13–16 gathering.

Church and state leaders congratulate new Chaldean patriarch

Formal and ecclesial messages poured in after the Chaldean Synod elected Archbishop Amel Shamon Nona as the new patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, taking the name Patriarch Paul III Nona, ACI MENA reported Monday.

Iraqi President Nizar Amidi, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, and Parliament Speaker Haybat al-Halbousi were among the senior officials who congratulated him, each emphasizing coexistence, national unity, and the historic role of Iraq’s Christians.

Church leaders across the region followed suit, including Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignatius Joseph III Younan, Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rai, Coptic Catholic Patriarch Ibrahim Isaac, and heads of the Assyrian Church of the East, the Ancient Church of the East, and the Syriac Orthodox Church, reflecting the broad ecclesial significance of the election. 

Church bells rang in Chaldean communities worldwide, while Nona’s hometown of Alqosh, Iraq, marked the moment with public celebration.

This article was originally published by EWTN News English.